Spring-wheel



G. B. TIMBEHLAKE.

SPRING WHEEL.

. APPLICATION FILED AUG.25, 1917. 1,849,019, Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE B. TIMBERIIAKE, 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SPRING-WHEEL.

' specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 1 0, 1920.

Application iled August 25, 1917. Serial No. 188,201;

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. TIMBER- LAKE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, haveinvented a certain new and useful lmprovement in Spring-Wheels, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact Vdescription, such as willenable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and usethe same. f Y Y My invention' relates to a vehicle wheel, and theprincipal object of my invention is to construct a comparativelyvsimple, inexpensive. wheel having-a series of resilient spokes arrangedbetween the rim .and hub whereby .the jar` and vibration incident to thetravel of the wheel upon a roadway will be almost entirely absorbedwithin the wheel instead of being transmitted to the vehicle and itsload.

A further object of my invention is to constructan all-metal wheel Vandto utilize and arrange vka series of spokes between the rim and hub,said spokes beingso formed as to produce great resiliency, therebyproviding a wheel which possesses all the desirable features of apneumatic tire type of wheel without the expense and many disadvantagesincident to the use of pneumatic tires.

A further `object of my invention is to provide a wheel lwith resilientspokes so formed and arranged as to overcome all tendency of the rimportion of the wheel lto move laterally'with respect to the hub whilethe wheel is in operation, and particularly while the vehicle is makingav turn in either direction. v

A furtherobject of my invention is to -produce a wheel which, Vinaddition to its y the rim being in section for the purpose of moreclearly illustrating the construction of the wheel.Y

Fig. la is a detail sectional view of a buffer block or shock absorberwhich is adapted for use on-the rim of my improved wheel.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken approximately on the line 2-2of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view .taken approxi-` mately on the line 33 ofFig. 2. f

Fig. 4L is a sectional view through the hub of a wheel of my improvedconstruction and showing a modified arrangement for attachino' thespokes to the hub.

Fig. 5 is a detail section taken approximately on the line 5,-5 of Fig.4. l i

Fig. 6 is a section of the hub and showing a further modifiedarrangement of attaching the spokes to said hub.

Fig. 7 is a detail section showing a further modified arrangement ofattaching the inner ends of the spokes to the hub. Y Fig. 8 is asectional view of a portion of the rim of the wheel and showing amodified arrangement of attaching the outer ends of the spokes to therim.

Fig. 9 is a cross section taken approximately on the line 9 9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 'l0 is a detail elevational view of a portion of the rim of awheel,the saine being constructed in accordance with my invention.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, l designates the rimof the wheel which is preferably inthe form of a tube and to which isapplied an ordinary metal tire 2. It will be understood that the rim canbe of any desired cross sectional shape, and if desired, a cushion orcomposition tire can be applied to said rim. The hub of my improvedwheel comprises a pair ofmating tubular members or shells 3 whichinclose blocks t of wood or composition, and seated in said blocks is ametal sleeve 5 which serves as a bearing for the spindle of the'axle. i

Formed on or fixed to the meeting edges of the shells 3 are outwardlyprojecting ianges 6, and formed in the inner faces of said flanges are`radially disposed slots l7. Formed through the iianges 6 at the sides ofthe slots 7 are apertures 8 which are adapted to receive bolts or likefastening devices by means of which the inner ends of the spokes areattachedto the hub. The spokes 9vr of my improved wheel are preferablyconstructed ot Hat sections of resilient metal7 such as steel, and eachspoke is bent near its center to form a pairV Yof. legs 9a,-the sameAwhereg-.the spokes are of equal thickness v throughout their length, andat the same timeV said spokes have suiicienttransverse rigidity towithstand any tendencyof the riinvv portion ofthe wheel to movelaterally Y relative tothe hub. The outer ends of the f outer legs ofthe spol'res'arebent slightly, as

designated by 10, and said bent endsbear directly against and are fixedtothe rim 1 iiiany suitable manner, preferably-by means V'of bolts orrivets' 11, which pass through said bent ends and are seated in the rimand tire. The 'inner ends of the inner legs Vof the spokes are bentsubstantially at right anglesV to said inner legs,as designated by12,and these bent inner ends occupy the coinciding slots 7 V formedin thefianges 6. Formed in oneV ofA thesidefaces of each inwardly bent end 12is a notch 13, which, when said inner end is properly lseated in thehub, coincides Y with the corresponding aperture 8. Bolts 14 Y or likefastening devices are inserted through .the apertures* 3 and notchesY137 thereby 'firmly securing the inner ends of thev spokes -I tothe.hub. v In case one of thel resilient spokes becomes brokenl or unfitfor service,

. :n it can'be readily detached and a new spoke inserted. Y

Y In order to support the resilient spokes against excessive yieldingmovement toward Y the rim ofthe wheel, I provide short tubular members15' which act as shock absorbers orV buffers, and these can be attachedin any suitable manner to .theV inside ofthe rim at the outeren'd ofeachfspoke, asvshown by dotted lines in Fig. `1. l f Y Y In Figs. et and5, I have shown a modified arrangement of fastening the inner ends ofthe spokes, and -where such construction is carried out the side edgesof the inner ends` of the spokes are notched, as designated by 16,'andthese notches receive corresponding lugsV 17Y which project inwardlyfrom the flanges 6.1 f Y .l

In the, modified construction illustrated in Fig. 6, the inner ends ofthe spokesare widerthan the'body portion, thereby provviding shoulders18Vvwhich,-Ywhen the spokes are assembledon the hub, engage directly.against the inner Va'cesv ofthe tubular ment bers or shells 3. Y

v In themodiiied construction illustrated in Fig. 7, the inner ends ofthe -spokes are punched so as to Yproduce shoulders 19, which, when thehub and spokes are assembled, bear directly-A against the inneracesoftheshells 3.

The modiiied arrangement of fastening the outer ends of the spokes tothe rim illus- Vtrated in Figs. 8 and/9, comprises a loop120 which isiixed to the inside of the rim, and oneA end ofsaid loop is transverselyslotted. and then bent inward to Yform a resilient re-V taining rib orkeeper 21. The bent outer iff end of the spoke is provided at its outerend suitable manner to a ring 26 which is rigidly fixed to the'wheelhub. This arrangement provides for theapplication of my invention to therim portion only of awheel..`

By bending each spoke to form two legs vwhich are arranged atsubstantially right angles vto each other, and ,byV varying the'lthickness of the legs `and makingthe same thinnest at vtheir centralportions,;I am able to vproduce a wheel having'greataresliency combinedwith Vstrength and durability, ,and

the rim portion of whichiwheel is eiiectively held against `lateralVmovementV .with respect tothe hub. Any movementoffthe rimiportion ofthe wheel with respect to the hub throws all .of the` lspokes into Yaction, and thus praoticallyall j ar and .vibration which wouldotherwise be transmitted to lthe load during the passage of the wheelover 'rough vor unevenground,is eliminated.

When spokes of. inyiinproved construction are combined withqthfe hubandA rim,`;` the inner legs of theV spokes y,are V'substantially tangentto the hub, and the outer legs are substantially tangentftothe rim.YV

yIt will be readily understood that minor changesin the; size, formandfconstruction of the various parts of my improved spring Wheel may bemade and substituted for those herein shown and described, withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention, the scope owhich Vis setYforth in theappended-claims. j v 1 v Iclai1n:.

1.In .a vehicle wheel,VA thecombination with a hub and rim, of a spokeformed of a single piece of metal bent to form a pair of legsarrangedsubstantially at right angles to each other and each of Whichlegs Varies in thickness throughout its length With the thinnest portionat the center of the leg.

2. In a vehicle Wheel, the combination with a hub and rim, of :L spokeformed of a single piece of metal bent to form e pair of legs arrangedsubstantially at right angles to each other, said legs tapering inthick- 10` ness from the center toward each end.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiix my signature in the presence of twoWitnesses this 15th day of August, 1917.

GEORGE B. TIMBERLAKE.

Witnesses:

M. l). SMITH, LAURA MEYER.

